Dark Carnivals
Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire

Ah, my reward for getting through this very heavy (in every sense of the word) tome is to be the first to review it. Ok, so… This was meant to me my smart book of the month and sure enough…combining two things I enjoy: historical nonfiction and my beloved fictional genre, the author explores the not......more

Dark Carnivals by W. Scott Poole was not what I was expecting. With the tag "Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire" I was expecting more about horror as a genre, but this seems to be more the horror of American Empire. It's a well written book but is more of a condemnation of capitalism an......more

This book aims to follow the rise of the American horror film and how it parallels American politics and the rise of the American empire both at home and abroad. It aims to show how viewing American history through the lens of horror films has left us somewhat numb to the atrocities that the US has......more

This is smartly written. The only issue I have with it is that some of the very good and valid points could have been explored in much more depth. I especially would have liked the last chapter and epilogue to have been expanded. Second edition, please.......more

Dark Carnivals is a dense but immensely readable examination of America’s Imperial Empire from about the time of World War I to the present day, with a heavy focus on the wrongdoings of the U.S. government against both its own people who aren’t the stereotypical American citizen (basically everyone......more